


Stay

by swiftishere



Series: MSA One-Shots [32]
Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pre-Relationship, Texting, everyone gets a hand on the idiot ball this round, it's fun tho, not intentionally a vday thing but it sure worked out that way huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 01:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29428170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swiftishere/pseuds/swiftishere
Summary: It hurts, thinking they don't want him around anymore. But what else is he supposed to think, with the way they've been acting? No, better to just leave now, and avoid a lot of painful awkwardness and an eventual terrible conversation. Arthur takes off late at night, giving them a single text to tell them that heknowswhat they want, and he'sgoing.Then they start trying to reach him, and... maybe he's been a bit hasty in his assumptions? Maybe there's someotherreason they've been acting different?
Relationships: Arthur/Lewis/Vivi (Mystery Skulls Animated)
Series: MSA One-Shots [32]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1440190
Comments: 12
Kudos: 61





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> ...in which known aroace swift acts like they know anything about romance  
> also there's some styling in this to change the font of some text to (dark, readable) colors. it's just to differentiate who's talking in text without me having to overuse dialogue tags

"Are you... do you want to come? It's normally a couples event..."

Arthur has _no_ idea what the look Vivi's giving him is supposed to mean, but he hears her wording loud and clear. "Yeah, no, I'm- I'm f-fine. You guys have fun, though."

He swears he sees her... _pout?_ for a second, before she turns back to Lewis. Must be imagining things. She's been getting harder to read.

These _couples events_ have been getting more frequent lately, if he's not mistaken. It probably doesn't mean anything. Probably. But he can't quite shake the insidious little voice in his head that says they're trying to tell him something - that he isn't wanted here anymore. That they're ready for their _group_ to become a _couple_ , and he's in the way.

He kind of saw this coming when they first started dating, to be honest. Not like it hadn't been _his_ idea in the first place, and he didn't regret giving them the nudge to get together - they were _perfect_ together, and they'd been pining after each other for _ages_ at that point - but still, when it became _official_ , he couldn't help but wonder if this was the beginning of the end for him. They seemed to pick up that he was worried, and reassured him, and for a while he got himself to believe them, that nothing had to change. But _still_ , he wasn't much more than bitterly disappointed by Vivi's new mood. And if Lewis hadn't said anything to her about it, it probably meant he felt the same way.

"Well, guess we'd better go pack, then," Lewis says, jolting him out of his thoughts.

He offers a grin that he hopes doesn't look _too_ halfhearted. "Yeah, you- you, uh, go do th-that."

* * *

"...Arthur..."

His ears perk up. They're talking about _him?_ It's a bad idea, he knows, but he can't help but try to eavesdrop.

"...don't want to keep going like this." That's Vivi.

"I know. Like I've said, this is hard for me too. I feel bad not being _honest_ , but..."

"Yeah, you don't know how he'll react." A long huff, and he can almost envision Vivi flopping back onto the bed.

"But- sooner or later we have to say _something._ I mean, _this_ obviously isn't working." The emphasis on _this_ makes it sound like he's pointing to the door, and he has a feeling he's referring to the hints Vivi's been dropping. Which apparently were very much intentional.

"That, or he _does_ understand what I'm getting at, and he's... he's not..."

Right, he doesn't want to listen to this anymore. He snaps the book shut and gets up. Yeah, he _understands_ now, loud and clear.

* * *

He spends the evening packing, and late at night, once he's sure everyone else is asleep, he takes off. He waits until he's in the van to text the other two something he had prepared already - _You could have just said you wanted me gone_ \- and then he's out.

The night's quiet, especially out on the highway, the only light sources his headlights and the moon. It's at once peaceful and eerie. Weird atmosphere for what _really_ feels like a breakup, even though it's categorically nothing of the sort. He drives for a long time, until he's sure he can keep himself composed for long enough to talk to another actual human, and then he pulls off at the first stop he sees.

He debates for a while, and then decides to head into the gas station for something to eat before he tries to sleep. Being miserable is even less fun on an empty stomach.

"'ey," the cashier says, because it's completely empty in here and they have nothing better to do. He gives them a vague sort of wave and then sets to picking out some snacks. A bag of the little horn-shaped crackers, one of marshmallows _(he isn't entirely sure when these places started selling just straight-up bags of marshmallows, but he isn't complaining, and judging by how few are left, nobody else is either)_ and an uncaffeinated soda. Comfort food, basically. He picks out a hot dog when he gets up to the register, too, for good measure.

"Long night?" the cashier says as they're ringing him up.

"Road trip."

"Ah." A regal nod of understanding. "Well, take a nap before you get back on the road. Don't need another damn person going off the hill and into a building."

"Yeah, I kno- I know the deal." He collects his stuff, exchanges pleasantries, and heads back to the van.

When he steps out the automatic doors and away from the tinny overhead music, he realizes two things. One, he left his phone in the van, and two, it's ringing.

He swears under his breath and clambers into the backseat as quickly as he can, dropping the bag on the floor without much thought. The caller ID declares it's from Lewis. The _one time_ that guy forgets to put his phone on silent before bed...

Before he can decide whether or not to pick up, the call goes to voicemail. Or maybe Lewis just decided to hang up. A couple seconds later, his phone buzzes with a text, and he sees there's been a few more since he left. He sighs and reluctantly opens it, morbidly curious what Lewis's response has been.

_ What is this about? If something's wrong, please talk to me.  _

_ Where are you?  _

_ Arthur, please come back. Whatever's going on, you don't have to handle it alone. _

He hisses and types a response without really thinking.

_ I'm giving you a fucking out dude  _

_ I heard you two talking last night. I get it, but if you two want to be alone, you could have just SAID _

_ Don't need to spare my feelings _

The typing bubble appears and disappears a few times.

_ What? _

_ You didn't want to keep lying about shit or whatever! Didn't want to keep going on with me! Seriously, quit it with the act! _

Again, it takes Lewis a minute to type out a response. _I hate to be the cliche here, but this is seriously not what you think._

He really hopes his sarcasm comes across.

_Oh do elaborate_

_It's not like I haven't been getting Vivi's hints this whole time_

_I thought we talked about shit like adults but apparently not_

The phone is silent for a while, and he has a feeling the other two are having a conversation between themselves. That's fine- he needs a minute to compose himself anyway. His eyes are burning and the phone is getting blurry, and his breathing is unsteady and ragged.

This time it's Vivi who responds - shit, he almost forgot this was the groupchat. _Arthur oh my god I'm such a fucking idiot_

_Please call us_

_Not super interested sorry_

_I know we said we'd do this face to face but Lewis I gotta break that_

_ Go ahead.  _

_Arthur we're not trying to get you to go away!_

_We're both in love with you!_

He starts back, and in his surprise he drops the phone and it goes clattering onto the seat divider.

They're _what?_

Vivi keeps going. _I was legit trying to invite you along with us on all that shit I just thought you weren't interested_

_You thought I was telling you to LEAVE?_

_We both wanted you to come with! As a couples thing! But you hate doing things how were we supposed to know you weren't just turning it down!_

A laugh bubbles out of him, despite the tears. That sounds ridiculous and yet, coming from Vivi, he can easily imagine it. He picks the phone back up with shaking hands, but he's smiling.

_Vivi you're terrible at flirting_

_THATS BEEN ESTABLISHED_

_IM SORRY_

The rushed, all-caps, _genuine_ response clears any doubt he had that she was telling the truth. His face flops onto the seatback, shoulders shaking with laughter. _No wonder you needed a support team to have any chance with Lewis_

_ So does this mean you believe us?  _

_ Please say yes _

That's Lewis. He normally doesn't sound this desperate. There's a pang in Arthur's heart, and the smile softens. He really cares about this, huh?

_Yes, I believe you_

_But I hope you know I'm going to make fun of you for this forever_

_THANK GOD_

_ I honestly don't know what I'd do if you didn't.  _

_ No Vivi I would NOT dig out that old letter I wrote you could not make me if it was life or death  _

_What letter is this?_

_Lewis wrote a letter a few months ago about our feelings he was going to give it to you_

_But he chickened out_

_ It was stupid!  _

_It was very cute and honest and I think Arthur would still like to read it_

He's back to laughing, and he lets his head rest on the seat as he grins at his phone.

He sees someone hesitate in typing something a few times. That, or Vivi and Lewis are stop-and-starting, both waiting for the other to go first. It's Vivi who eventually sends something.

_So about the uh_

_The in love part of that confession?_

The reminder slams into him like a physical shock, and his heart speeds up. He'd almost forgotten about _that_ , in the relief that it meant they didn't hate him. But they don't just _not hate him_ \- they're _in love_. And right now they're patiently waiting for a response on the other end of the phone, and all he has to do is say _yes_ and...

It somehow feels nearly impossible to type it out. He'd dismissed this as a wild fantasy for so long, that now that it's actually in reach...

He swallows hard and summons his courage.

_Yes_

_I love you both_

_So much_

_Both of us?_ says Lewis, at the same time that Vivi says _In love love?_

_Yes_

_To both questions_

_YES!_

_ Oh _

_ Sorry I know that's a weird response I'm just _

_ Blown away  _

_ This is better than I ever thought this would go _

_Even if it started with me running out on you over a misunderstanding?_

_ Yes.  _

_Hey speaking of, are you coming back now? Please?_

_Yeah duh_

_It might take me a bit though, I went pretty far_

_Well hurry it up I want to induct you into sleep cuddles_

The thought of sharing a _bed_ with them makes his chest feel warm, his heart speeding up again. It isn't like they've never slept together before, it wasn't all that uncommon on cases when they wound up with only one available bed, but this is _different_.

It felt less like an actual change and more like an invisible barrier coming down. Like this is somehow more _honest_ than every shared nap that came before. Especially now he knows he apparently wasn't the _only_ one secretly pining. He isn't entirely sure what that actually _means_ , but... it feels good.

_I'm heading back now_

_ETA like an hour_

_And I come bearing snacks_

_I must warn you, there are much higher taxes for consorts,_ Vivi shoots back. _I'll expect at least thirty percent of everything_

_Vivi if you keep goofing it's going to take longer for him to get here_.

_MMMH FINE hurry up tho_

He allows himself one more fit of laughter, and then he climbs over the seatback and into the driver's seat. And then he's headed home.

He's sure this giddy feeling will fade eventually. But at the same time, it feels like the warm, satisfied feeling of comfort in his chest is here to stay.


End file.
